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Topic: Removal from inside question (Read 1803 times)

I have never had to remove a hive from inside the building before so I don't know what to tell people to expect.

How do yall do it and how do keep the house from being filled with bees for weeks. I would think you repair any whole you make the same day trying to keep the bees from get inside after you are gone. Do you tell the owners that have to leave for a day or so what is the normal when you do one indoors?

Haddon,I did one two weeks go and working on the video. What I tell them is you will get some but not like you think. People think that when you open the wall the bees will take fiight but that don't happen. If you can close doors or block openings do so. I keep a small vac to suck up the bees that do fly. If I'm not doing repairs I would staple plastic bag over the hole you make to keep bees from coming in. Hope this will help. .........schawee

They don't scatter and fly like one would think. The main thing is to close off the area where you are working and if you can darken the room leaving one open window or door so any the do fly will go to the light. Even if is nothing more than an open curtain, you can vacuum the bees off the glass later. The main thing is to gently, as conditions allow, open the cavity and then step back and let them settle back on the comb. As long as comb remains, especially brood, they will naturally gravitate to it. Use that trick to vacuum the bees clear the comb with vac wait until it fills up withbees and clear it again.

Use natural light & allow them to escape through an open window if one can be opened. If they cannot be opened they will still go to any window. You can vacuum them off the window. You will get some in the room but most on the window. Do not turn on any light or they will go to it. Leave ceiling fans off.

You can also use plastic to sequester your work area to keep bees in that area only.

Cover anything in the room you don't want pollen marks on.

If no windows, do it in the dark with a red light, not a red flood light but a small light from a flash light or head lamp.

Once all comb is secured and transferred move your hive set up outdoors. Seal the entrance so the returning bees cannot get back into the room. If you cannot seal the entrance, bee quick the void space to run/keep them out.

I went to visit my recently deceased MIL house that just cleared probate to cut the grass. She's had bee's in the house before that someone else cut out about 2 months before I decided to become a beekeeper.

She's got another swarm setting/set up between the 2nd and first floor in the floor joist. About 20ft over from the last hive. Considering tackling it myself. It is right on a corner but also behind a huge deck so going at it from the inside is probably the best option. It is right next to a sliding glass door so I am thinking I'll crack that door open and hope the bee's that fly go outside.

I went to visit my recently deceased MIL house that just cleared probate to cut the grass. She's had bee's in the house before that someone else cut out about 2 months before I decided to become a beekeeper.

She's got another swarm setting/set up between the 2nd and first floor in the floor joist. About 20ft over from the last hive. Considering tackling it myself. It is right on a corner but also behind a huge deck so going at it from the inside is probably the best option. It is right next to a sliding glass door so I am thinking I'll crack that door open and hope the bee's that fly go outside.

Do you use smoke inside or essential oil sprays or nothing?

If they haven't been there very long depending on construction you just may be able to get them from the exterior. If you would describe the house or have pictures that would be great. We would be more than happy to give you any tips you might have.

Of the ones I have done from the inside, if there is a/c (just so you don't melt) leave the doors and windows closed and then just vac up the bees, they will head for the sunlight trying to get out.

Smoke or sugar water on the inside is up to you and the owner of the building. Most times if the bees are gentle enough you will not need either one. Use the sugar water sparingly if using the bee vac, you could end up with wet sticky dead bees.

I prefer going in from the bottom some prefer the top. My thinking is, it is easier to repair sheet rock than flooring. Just really depends on the job though, they are all different but the same.

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those hot bees will have you steppin and a fetchin like your heads on fire and your @ss is a catchin!!!

If they haven't been there very long depending on construction you just may be able to get them from the exterior. If you would describe the house or have pictures that would be great. We would be more than happy to give you any tips you might have.

...JP

Could be up to 6 months. Unfortunately they are behind a deck. I tried taking a picture with my phone but the sun was in a horrid position. This is the best I got.

You can sort of see one of the floor joists sticking out on the left side of the picture. Originally those joists were the support for the deck but those were cut off years ago.

The other cutout that was done in this house was about 7 ft deep in between two joists. That one was done from the due to the deck as well.

Looks like you don't have a choice, inside it is! Use smoke sparingly but keep it handy (outside) Down here most of the two story homes have carpet over plywood on the second floor. When that is the case I pull the carpet back, pull the nails out the joists & cut the floor on the joists. Invert the plywood, remove the hive. After you're done you can fill the void with unbacked insulation. A roll at H.D. fluctuates between 12-16 bucks. Put the floor back in place and either seal the entrance & possibly other bee proofing or have them do it. They will love the fact that they don't have to have the sheetrock repaired at an extra expense. No offense G3.

No offense at all JP (come on my hide is thicker than that), most I have run into is hardwood flooring and would not touch that. Sheet rock is pretty quick to fix, I tell them I do not paint though. I can see where you are coming from on the carpet, real quick and even hides where you have been. I guess it might depend on the quality of the carpet also. Like I say they are all the same but different.

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those hot bees will have you steppin and a fetchin like your heads on fire and your @ss is a catchin!!!

Anything other than plywood I usually go in from the sheetrock ceiling as well G unless they want me to cut through their flooring which is fine by me but I likely will try and talk them out of it. Now that one Schawee & I just did with the two hives, the guy wanted us to go in from the tongue & groove ceiling. I said NO Way!